Messages - ram1

bradley - if part of what makes you you is coming from a small town and overcoming the hurdles that creates, I would absolutely mention it. I think the worst thing you can do in an interview is try to hide who you are or try to be someone that you are not. Sounds like to me you have a good story to tell. I'd tell it.

Dont be surprised if when you see the exam you get scared and think WTF did we even cover this poo? That happens to everyone, get over the initial shock and start IDing issues. Dont let it throw you that the test makes no sense, everyone will feel like that. Just realize you know enough to pass and start looking for the issues you can see. Start with the biggest issues and answer those first in deceding order, so if you run out of time you have the key issues answered. Pick your battles. Watch your time, and be confident. Finally dont be surprised if after the test you feel like you failed it. THAT IS VERY COMMON ON LAW EXAMS. More often than not how you feel you did has little correlation to how you actually did.

This is very, very good advice. When you get that ineveitable curveball question, if you can remain calm and keep telling yourself that everyone else is just as lost, you'll be worlds ahead. Some of my best grades on law school exams came on tests that I was sure I failed.

I agree that with your credentials as they stand now you are extremely unlikely to get a federal appellate clerkship. Why is a clerkship important to you? You said that you wanted to do a federal appellate clerkship before moving on to "bigger things". Do the "bigger things" require a federal appellate clerkship? A federal appellate clerkship is a great experience, but there are few positions for which that is the only route. Law professor maybe.

As far as getting a job as a SA, I'm not sure your prospects are quite as bad as others might have suggested. I work at a 200+ atty, mid-size city firm, and we would certainly not dismiss a candidate with your credentials without any consideration. Not being on a journal will not hurt you as much in the law firm search as you might be led to believe by those at law school. I would just make sure that you have something else to point to that you did productive in lieu of being on a journal.

To get back to your specific question. The best chance you have at getting a federal appellate clerkship, like someone else said already, is going to be through connections. I think you could make those connections either by working directly for a judge or by working at a larger law firm if you seek out attorneys at that firm that did clerkships and do really great work for them. Maybe they will put in a good word for you with their judge. But as I already said, I think your prospects for fed app clerkship are slim.